The Screen Awards sparked controversy, first with Saurabh Dwivedi's comment on Rajpal Yadav. Now, comedian Zakir Khan faces backlash for a joke on 'Dhurandhar's' success, drawing criticism from Ameesha Patel and director Siddharth Anand.
The recently held Screen Awards in Mumbai have been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. After journalist Saurabh Dwivedi's perceived playful dig at actor Rajpal Yadav over his recent cheque-bounce case drew criticism from netizens, including Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, stand-up comedian Zakir Khan has now landed in controversy as well. His joke about the success of Dhurandhar and how it has allegedly sparked jealousy among some individuals in the industry has triggered a fresh wave of backlash online.
Zakir Khan's Joke Sparks Fresh Controversy
"Film mein bomb phoote Lyari mein aur yahan dhuaa udaa Bandra se Juhu mein. (The bombs may have gone off in Lyari, but the smoke is rising from Bandra to Juhu)," Zakir said while hosting the show.
Bollywood Reacts to Zakir's Remarks
Ameesha Patel Calls for an End to 'Negativity'
Reacting to his remarks, actress Ameesha Patel took to X and called out Zakir, requesting him to "stop negativity." She also highlighted how actors like Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Sunny Deol have delivered numerous hits throughout their careers. "DUDE-Stop spreading NEGATIVITY!film industry has valued n respected DHURANDHAR!Superstars like SRK,SALMAN,SUNNY , HRITHIK,AJAY et have given not just 1 but 25 plus mega hits n will continue to do so CHILL-GADAR bahut saalon se sabne already machai hain aur aage bhi machaayenge," Ameesha Patel posted on her X.
Siddharth Anand Defends 'Juhu-Bandra Peeps'
'Pathaan' director Siddharth Anand also found the joke in poor taste. In a post on X, Siddharth wrote, "Juhu - Bandra peeps have given all ATBB's (all-time blockbusters) since the past 50 years. You have to be a real duffer to undermine their contribution".
Screen Awards were held on Sunday. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)